Question words (wie, wat, welk(e))

1. What do wie, wat and welk(e) do?

These three words all mean “who / what / which”.

They are used in different situations. That is the key point.

• wie → ask about people
• wat → ask about things, animals, ideas, actions
• welk(e) → ask about a choice between nouns (“which …?”)

If you are unsure, first ask yourself:

• Am I asking about a person? → use wie
• Am I asking about a thing / action in general? → use wat
• Am I asking which one from a group of nouns? → use welk(e)

2. Wie – asking about people

Use wie when the answer is a person or people.

• Wie is dat? – Who is that?
• Wie is jouw collega? – Who is your colleague?
• Met wie praat je? – Who are you talking to?

Typical patterns:

• Wie + werkwoord: Wie werkt hier? – Who works here?
• Voorzetsel + wie: Met wie / voor wie / bij wie

Do not use wat for people:

• Wat is jouw collega? ✗
• Wie is jouw collega? ✓

3. Wat – asking about things and actions

Use wat when the answer is not a specific person, but a thing, idea, or activity.

• Wat is dat? – What is that?
• Wat doe je graag? – What do you like to do?
• Wat is je favoriete studie? – What is your favourite study?

Typical patterns:

• Wat + werkwoord: Wat betekent dit woord? – What does this word mean?
• Voorzetsel + wat: Waarmee / waarover, etc. (this comes later in your course)

Do not use wie or welk(e) for general “what” questions:

• Wie is je favoriete studie? ✗
• Wat is je favoriete studie? ✓

4. Welk or welke? – asking “which …?”

Use welk(e) when:

• you talk about a noun (profession, study, book, room, laptop …)
• there is a choice from different options

Examples:

• Welk beroep wil je? – Which profession do you want?
• Welke studie doe je? – Which study are you doing?
• Welke vergaderruimte reserveer je? – Which meeting room are you booking?

Now the form:

Type noun	Form	Example
het-word (singular)	welk	Welk beroep heb je? – Which profession do you have?
de-word (singular)	welke	Welke studie kies je? – Which study do you choose?
Plural nouns (de in plural)	welke	Welke studies vind je interessant? – Which studies do you find interesting?

If you do not know if a word is de or het:

• Check your dictionary.
• At A1, you will often meet common combinations, e.g. de studie, het beroep, de baan, de laptop.

5. Quick form check: de-woord, het-woord, plural

Use this mini-check when you make a question with welk(e).

1. Look at the noun after welk(e).
   • If it starts with de in the dictionary → use welke.
   • If it starts with het in the dictionary → use welk.
   • If it is plural (often ends in -en or -s) → use welke.
2. Then make the rest of the question in normal Dutch word order.

Examples step by step:

• … beroep wil je later kiezen?
  • het beroep → het-word → welk
  • Result: Welk beroep wil je later kiezen?
• … studie doe je?
  • de studie → de-word → welke
  • Result: Welke studie doe je?
• … laptops kopen jullie?
  • laptops → plural → welke
  • Result: Welke laptops kopen jullie?

6. Common doubt: wat or welk(e)?

English often uses “what” and “which” in similar ways. In Dutch the difference is clearer:

Meaning	Use in Dutch	Example
General “what?” (no specific list)	wat	Wat wil je drinken? – What would you like to drink?
Choice from a concrete list	welk(e)	In de kantine zijn drie soepen. Welke soep neem je? – Which soup will you have?

Self-check:

• Can you point to options (this one / that one / those)? → use welk(e).
• Are you asking in general, with no clear list? → use wat.

7. Word order in questions with wie, wat, welk(e)

The basic pattern is:

• Vraagwoord + persoonsvorm (verb) + subject + … ?

Examples:

• Wie is jouw collega? – Who is your colleague?
• Wat doe je graag? – What do you like to do?
• Welk beroep heb je nu? – Which profession do you have now?
• Welke studie doe je? – Which study are you doing?

With a preposition (met, voor, bij):

• Use the pattern Voorzetsel + wie.
• Example: Met wie werk je? – Who do you work with?

Avoid English word order:

• Wie jouw collega is? ✗
• Wie is jouw collega? ✓

8. Step-by-step: choose the right question word

Use this quick procedure when you form a question.

1. What is the answer about?
   • Person → probably wie
   • Thing / action → probably wat
   • Choice between nouns → welk(e)
2. If you choose welk(e):
   • Check the noun: de, het, or plural.
   • Apply the small form rule (see section 5).
3. Put the verb right after the question word or group.
   • Wie is … ?
   • Wat doe je … ?
   • Welke studie kies je … ?

9. Self-check: can you explain it to yourself?

After this explanation, you should be able to:

• Say in your own words when to use wie, wat and welk(e).
• Look at a noun and decide: welk or welke.
• Make short, correct questions about work and study, for example:
  • Wie is jouw manager?
  • Wat studeer je?
  • Welke studie doe je in Nederland?
  • Welk beroep wil je later?

If you can do this without looking at the rules, you are ready to use these question words in conversation.